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Suicide: Quelling the Perfect Storm

What we do

At the Strub Caulkins Center for Suicide Research, we perform forensic death investigations called psychological autopsies, conduct academic research on suicides and mental health, and carry out informational activities. To the fullest extent possible, we make the results of our efforts available to the general public. For example, we compile and summarize research data and statistics into informational fact sheets. Our original research, when not embargoed by publishers, is available for download from our website. And while we protecting the privacy of psychological autopsy subjects and incidents is of the highest priority, as appropriate, we may aggregate data from larger samples of psychological autopsies and make that data available. We have begun a project to design and develop an interactive database of our research data. As part of our mission, we will make this data available through our website. Progress on the database project will be updated here. Please check back periodically.

About the Center

The Strub Caulkins Center for Suicide Research (the Center), formed in late 2015, is a 501(c)(3) charitable, nonprofit corporation with a mission to raise public awareness of suicide and related mental health issues and to contribute to efforts to reduce suicide rates in the United States and throughout the world. The work of the Center was first started through Sumrith Solutions, LLC–a now desolved entity that gave rise to the Center. The founders of the Center have vast experience in emergency medical care and education and have first-hand experience with the effect suicide has on those who left asking questions and trying to understand what happened: a group of people called “survivors.” We embody our purpose, mission, vision, and values. In early 2016, we applied for tax-exempt, public charity status from the Internal Revenue Service.

Strub Caulkins Center for Suicide Research

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1 month ago

People struggling with mental health problems are exponentially more likely to be the victim of a crime rather than the perpetrator (Eisenberg, 2005). People who are experiencing thoughts of suicide are also often incorrectly considered a violent threat to others. In fact, in 2017, there were over 47,000 suicides (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019) and only 17,000 murders (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019). The numbers alone do not support this thought process. Countries around the world have people that are experiencing mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, yet the U.S. is the country disproportionately experiencing the majority of mass shootings and gun violence (American Public Health Association, n.d.). Additionally, the U.S. is one of only 9 countries reporting in to the World Health Organization (WHO)where suicide rates are going up not down, and the number one means used are firearms (WHO, 2012)--but remember those firearms are overwhelmingly used in suicides where the person kills them-self and no one else (CDC, 2019). Approximately 2% of suicides are murder-suicides and involve a domestic component and 0.5% are mass murder-suicides with (Joiner, 2014). What is going on? The answer is that the gun violence the U.S. is experiencing is cultural in origin and the inability of decision-makers to fully understand the true nature of the problem impedes the prevention of deaths. ... See more

We just finished producing the video of the panel discussion from the 2019 American Association of Suicidology Conference. We discussed emergency responders and their relationship to psychological trauma, and suicide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC1Bz10jbA4 ... See more

Panel discussion that took place at the 2019 American Association of Suicidology Conference.

Our logo represents the three components of fighting suicide. These are prevention, intervention, and postvention. The teal and purple colors are symbolic of the national colors of suicide awareness and prevention, while green is symbolic of mental health awareness. ... See more

Heading home after a great suicidology conference. Next big conference we will be presenting at will be the International Association for Suicide Prevention World Congress in Derry-Londonderry, Ireland.

Last takeaway from the AAS conference: Machine learning continues to identify suicide risk superior to traditional methods. ... See more

Conference Takeaway 2: It is thought that older white males die by suicide more because of permissive attitudes about suicide among those with more advanced age overall and those with disabilities. This is underscored by suicide being seen as masculine act with an element of control. ... See more

Follow Us

Suicide: Quelling the Perfect Storm

What we do

At the Strub Caulkins Center for Suicide Research, we perform forensic death investigations called psychological autopsies, conduct academic research on suicides and mental health, and carry out informational activities. To the fullest extent possible, we make the results of our efforts available to the general public. For example, we compile and summarize research data and statistics into informational fact sheets. Our original research, when not embargoed by publishers, is available for download from our website. And while we protecting the privacy of psychological autopsy subjects and incidents is of the highest priority, as appropriate, we may aggregate data from larger samples of psychological autopsies and make that data available. We have begun a project to design and develop an interactive database of our research data. As part of our mission, we will make this data available through our website. Progress on the database project will be updated here. Please check back periodically.

About the Center

The Strub Caulkins Center for Suicide Research (the Center), formed in late 2015, is a 501(c)(3) charitable, nonprofit corporation with a mission to raise public awareness of suicide and related mental health issues and to contribute to efforts to reduce suicide rates in the United States and throughout the world. The work of the Center was first started through Sumrith Solutions, LLC–a now desolved entity that gave rise to the Center. The founders of the Center have vast experience in emergency medical care and education and have first-hand experience with the effect suicide has on those who left asking questions and trying to understand what happened: a group of people called “survivors.” We embody our purpose, mission, vision, and values. In early 2016, we applied for tax-exempt, public charity status from the Internal Revenue Service.

Strub Caulkins Center for Suicide Research

Facebook Feed

1 month ago

People struggling with mental health problems are exponentially more likely to be the victim of a crime rather than the perpetrator (Eisenberg, 2005). People who are experiencing thoughts of suicide are also often incorrectly considered a violent threat to others. In fact, in 2017, there were over 47,000 suicides (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019) and only 17,000 murders (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019). The numbers alone do not support this thought process. Countries around the world have people that are experiencing mental health issues and suicidal thoughts, yet the U.S. is the country disproportionately experiencing the majority of mass shootings and gun violence (American Public Health Association, n.d.). Additionally, the U.S. is one of only 9 countries reporting in to the World Health Organization (WHO)where suicide rates are going up not down, and the number one means used are firearms (WHO, 2012)--but remember those firearms are overwhelmingly used in suicides where the person kills them-self and no one else (CDC, 2019). Approximately 2% of suicides are murder-suicides and involve a domestic component and 0.5% are mass murder-suicides with (Joiner, 2014). What is going on? The answer is that the gun violence the U.S. is experiencing is cultural in origin and the inability of decision-makers to fully understand the true nature of the problem impedes the prevention of deaths. ... See more

We just finished producing the video of the panel discussion from the 2019 American Association of Suicidology Conference. We discussed emergency responders and their relationship to psychological trauma, and suicide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC1Bz10jbA4 ... See more

Panel discussion that took place at the 2019 American Association of Suicidology Conference.

Our logo represents the three components of fighting suicide. These are prevention, intervention, and postvention. The teal and purple colors are symbolic of the national colors of suicide awareness and prevention, while green is symbolic of mental health awareness. ... See more

Heading home after a great suicidology conference. Next big conference we will be presenting at will be the International Association for Suicide Prevention World Congress in Derry-Londonderry, Ireland.

Last takeaway from the AAS conference: Machine learning continues to identify suicide risk superior to traditional methods. ... See more

Conference Takeaway 2: It is thought that older white males die by suicide more because of permissive attitudes about suicide among those with more advanced age overall and those with disabilities. This is underscored by suicide being seen as masculine act with an element of control. ... See more